NPF uses indigenous micro-organisms to create a healthy environment
Natural Deep Bed Pig Farming uses indigenous micro-organisms (IMO's) to create and
maintain a healthy deep bed litter flooring. It is these micro-organisms that will help break
down fecal matter rapidly leaving you with a fertilizer rich material whilst ensure no smells
or flies (an important factor in the tropics in particular where pigs and millions of flies can be
synonymous). We apply a home made enzyme/microbe mixture fosters rapid anaerobic
digestion of waste.
What are micro-organisms?
Micro-organisms are all around us. They are vital to humans
and the environment, as they participate in the Earth's element
cycles such as the carbon cycle and nitrogen cycle, as well as
fulfilling other vital roles in virtually all ecosystems, such as
recycling other organisms' dead remains and waste products
through decomposition. They are a key component of natural
pig farming deep bed system.
Why are micro-organisms so important
to natural pig farming?
Micro-organisms do most of the material
circulation in nature. They decompose and
convert complex organic materials such a dead
plants and animals, secretion, excretion and
organic fertilizers into simple compounds so that
material circulation is possible.
They also create complex or organic compounds
by synthesis. They produce various materials
such as anti-biotic substances, enzymes and
lactic acids which suppress various diseases and
promote chemical reaction in the soil. Without the enzymes the chemical reactions cannot
take place so rapidly.
The natural pig farming deep bed system harnesses these beneficial properties to
successfully raise animals and grow crops in the most low cost environmentally friendly way.
They are a key element of all inputs into the Natural deep bed pig farming system, promoting
health and preventing disease. They are also a key input to ensuring a healthy pig pen floor.
What natural solutions do we use to encourage a healthy pen bed?
The natural pig farming deep bed system focuses on the use of indigenous micro-organisms
(I.M.O). These are the natural organisms that can be found in the local area. Natural pig
farming wishes to foster [Link] because they are best adapted to the local environment
making them stronger and more effective than micro-organisms found elsewhere or
commercially artificially created micro-organisms.
Natural pig farming harnesses these beneficial properties to successfully raise animals and
grow crops in the most low cost environmentally friendly way. They are a key element of all
inputs into the natural pig farming deep bed system, promoting health and preventing disease.
They are also a key input to ensuring a healthy pig pen floor.
We tend to use two different enzyme/microbe rich mixtures (either of which can be used) that
have foster high indigenous micro organism activity when used in the deep bed flooring.
They are cheap, easy to make solutions and are produced by fermenting natural plant and
fruit materials with sugar. These are diluted in water and poured via watering can onto the
pen bedding once a week.
1) Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)
This is one of the two very effective solutions we make to encourage high IMO activity in the
deep pen flooring. Below is the process you need to follow to create your FPJ solution.
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Pick plant material you wish to use early in morning before plant loses nutrient values
to photosynthesis.
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Any green plant / vegetation will be fine to use: We tend to use Chinese water
vegetable which grows wild and is readily available but plants like banana sprout,
young bamboo etc. can also be used.
Chop plant up into very small pieces
Add half plant material to a container and line with half the sugar
Add remaining half and add remaining sugar
Compress with weight on top (a bag filled with water is very effective)
Quantity: 7kg plant material to 3 kg sugar
Leave for 8-10 days
Drain and collect the juice this is now your fermented plant juice solution (FPJ)
When ready to apply to bedding add approximately 2 spoons of FPJ to 10 liter of
water
Pour via watering can onto the pig pen bedding (and then continue to add to the
flooring on weekly basis)
Just this small addition of FPJ will stimulate high indigenous micro-organism development
and activity sufficient to rapidly break down any excrement and keep the bed healthy and
smell free.
2) Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ)
This is the other solution you can use to foster high IMO activity. You can use any kind of
fruit but those fruit types that are likely to generate lots of juice are best.
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Pick the fruit
Chop into small pieces
Add 1kg fruit : 1kg sugar
Put half the fruit in a container and add half the sugar.
Add the remaining fruit and add the remaining sugar.
Seal container with paper lid (this allows for air to enter and leave container).
Leave for 8-10 days.
Squeeze fruit to extract all juice.
Pour juice into jar.
Use 2 spoons of juice to 10 liter of water. Mix.
With watering can pour water on the bedding surface of the pigs pen.
Routine weekly use
Whilst you can use either the fermented plant juice or
fermented fruit juice to stimulate rapid anaerobic
digestion of waste, we tend to use a mix of both in the
same water. Adding the solution to the bedding once a
week ensures a high level of micro-organism activity
which will keep your bedding healthy and free from
smell.
Natural pig farming v factory farming
IMO solution to promote deep bed health
Uses power or nature to treat excrement
Produces manageable quantity of waste
Does not multiply waste through use of
water to flush and channel waste away from
pens
Converts waste to earth friendly matter
rather than wet slurry
Does not need large slurry holding lagoons
Produces organic rich fertilizer that build
lasting nutrition and health back in to the
soil
Does not pose a threat to the environment
no smell, no flies, no run-off
Natural pig farming
Yes
Yes
Yes
Factory farming
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
NPF is suited to all sizes and types of pig operation
Can be small scale and basic
Can be large scale and modern
The buildings can be small or large, rustic or modern in design
Pretty much any building design to house your pigs can be used for natural pig farming.
Buildings can be designed to house few or many pigs, be small or large, use basic or high
tech materials, be rudimentary or sophisticated in design and operation. The pig buildings I
use by choice in my pig operation, photographs of which you will see throughout this
website, are basic and rustic in design. They are low cost to build, require basic building
skills (so I, my family and friends are able to build ourselves) and use low cost natural
materials (wood) and basic manufactured materials (corrugated steel roofs). If you prefer
something more modern that's fine.
The key elements of a NPF housing design
The natural pig farming pig houses are designed to maximize the health and well-being of
the pigs. Key elements include:
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Roofing that provides shelter from rain and direct sun
Open sides for exposure to outside air (and cooling breezes where climate is hot and
during hot seasons). Dependent in climate the building can be designed with no sides,
or with retractable sides that can be raised or lowered as necessary.
Open ventilation in roof to promote air flow - where large scale pig production is
taking place.
Public health authorities may blanche at the idea
of open sided buildings. The environment in
todays factory farms is so laden with deadly
bacteria, viruss and sickness that the farms are
more like biological warfare germ agent
development facilities. As such, many factory
farm buildings are like sealed vacumns with
elaborate bio-security measures for people
entering and leaving the factory. But the natural
pig farming deep bed litter system and stocking
densities promotes a naturally healthy
environment and the open sided building
actually prevent the build up of dangerous pathagons. The fact that something as innocuous
as raising pigs is considered such a public health threat says much about just how wrong our
food production models have become. Wrong for the pigs inside who must live in the
environment where bacteria and viruss are actively attacking the pigs immune system whilst
gaining anti-biotic resistance and wrong for the population at large who must live with the
risk of a swine flu pandemic these factory farms will eventually succeed on unleashing on the
people of the world.
Factory farming buildings are expensive
Factory farming buildings are complex and expensive compared to natural pig farming
buildings. With no opens sides you have the additional cost of building materials for the
walls, and the need for ventilation and fan systems. And with need for systems to deal with
the pig excreta you will need to put in expensive waste handling systems.
Natural pig farming v factory farming
Pig housing
Design enhances health of pigs
Open to clean, fresh air
Open to sunlight
Open to cooling breezes
Natural ventilation and air circulation
Natural pig farming
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Factory farming
No
No
No
No
No
How Do I Build A Natural Farming Deep Bed Pig Sty?
Below I outline the basic principles of building a deep bed pig sty. This concept can be used
for building a small sty to keep just a couple of pigs in your back yard to raising hundreds of
pigs.
1) Build pen housing
Dimensions will vary dependent on how many pens you want under one roof and the number
of pigs you want to keep. Below are the dimensions of my single pen pig sties.
My dimensions for single pig sty building suitable for raising 10-12 pigs, or keeping 2-3
breeding sows:
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Width: 6 - 8 meters
Length: 8 meters
Height (highest point): 3.5 meters
2) Build the sty pen
Dig 0.9 - 1 meter down (and build trough). You need to go this deep to ensure that the deep
floor bedding is deep enough to absorb and break down the fecal matter whilst keeping the
pen floor healthy and hygienic. 10 pigs over 6 months can expel a lot of excrement and feces.
Build an 'enclosing wall' 2 block bricks deep from the surface level down. This will stop your
pigs rooting underneath the fence you will be building to enclose your pen.
Dimensions of pen:
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Width: 4 meter
Length: 6 meter
Depth: 1 meter
Remember part of the reason why the natural pig farming system is so successful in raising
healthy, non problematic pigs is the provision of space. Give the pigs as much space as you
[Link] the above measurements as minimums.
Fencing height: 1.10 meter
Build a trough (block bricks set up in a U shape and smooth concrete surface) all along one
side of the pen (see picture above).
Add deep litter flooring material
Fill with rice hull, peanut hulls or any other dry (chopped) agri by-product materials.
4) Design your pen
If you are planning to use the pen to raise pigs for slaughter a large open pen should be
designed. This will allow you to keep your pigs together in a stable family group throughout
the raising process in an environment that gives them the space and facilities to enjoy a way
of life in accordance to their natural instincts.
If you are planning to raise pigs to breed, then the area should be sub-divided into two
sections. We choose to keep two sows together throughout their pregnancy and only partition
them just prior to farrowing. After weaning the partition is opened and they have full access
to the subdivided pen and live together again.
What we never do is keep any pig in isolation. Pigs are social animals, form strong bonds
with other pigs, and enjoy doing things together, be it eating, sleeping, rooting or even
suckling their piglets at the same time. Even when they are partitioned for giving birth and
raising there piglets, they have visible contact with their sow mate.
5) Build your water delivery system
To ensure clean water is available we use a pig nipple tap feeder system. This ensures the
pigs get to drink fresh clean water. Feeding water via a trough is not so ideal as the water is
likely to get soiled and dirty.
We use a very basic system of feeding water through to the pig nipple. We have a plastic bin
with a rubber hose or plastic pipe connecting to plastic piping. The water is topped up
mornings and evenings.
Mud bath wallows
Pigs need mud psychologically and
physiologically. My natural pig
farming system provides a mud 'bath' in
one corner or side of the pen. Kept wet
with water this provides a splendid
cooling wet water bath. Left dry, the
natural coolness of the soil provides the
cool that a pig seeks. A pig doesnt want
to lie in wet mud all day and night, so our
natural pig farming practice is to add
water during at certain times of the day
when the weather is hottest, and then let
it dry naturally. We apply the water with
a watering can (we're very low tech)
which enables the pigs to get a cool shower as we pour.
The larger the mud bath area the better as pigs will spend most of the time in the mud bath. In
hindsight I would increase the size of the ones we built in our pens so bear this in mind when
you see the mud bath visuals scattered around this site. To make a good self contained mud
wallow you do need to dig down about 50 cm and build a block brick enclosure 2 block
bricks in depth. You can then re-add the soil you have dug out. This soil needs to be topped
up on a regular basis to keep fresh. Adding red soil is a good idea as this will help keep the
pigs healthy and also add the IMO fermented solution in 10 liters of water regularly to ensure
plenty of healthy indigenous micro-organism activity to keep the mud in healthy condition.